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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22594414">video tapes (the way that you like)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/uselessenterprise/pseuds/uselessenterprise'>uselessenterprise</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boarding School, Episode: s04e12, Multi, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Not Beta Read, Threesome - F/M/M, Voyeurism, the Riverdale writers don't have morals so neither do I</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:09:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,624</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22594414</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/uselessenterprise/pseuds/uselessenterprise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Betty should feel offended that someone like Bret is showing interest in her. He’s a pretentious, privileged asshole with no regard for anyone’s feelings, and certainly no respect for women—and anyway, she has a boyfriend! So what does it say about Betty that when she feels Bret’s cold eyes raking over her like that, she’s more intrigued than repulsed?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Betty Cooper/Bret Weston Wallis, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones/Bret Weston Wallis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. prologue: the look that you give me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I couldn’t find any Bret/Betty/Jughead content, so I decided to commit some sins and create it myself. Bret DEFINITELY has a slight thing for Betty in my opinion, so here’s something based on S4E12. Yes, this work is going to feature an explicit scene between these three characters.</p><p>Work &amp; chapter titles from the songs "The Way That You Like" by Pional &amp; Empress Of, and "Video Tapes" by Happy Sometimes.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The more Betty gets to know Bret Weston Wallace, the less she likes him. When she and Jughead took their initial tour of Stonewall, she found Bret to be pompous, full of false charm, and practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>reeking</span>
  </em>
  <span> of privilege. He seemed to be the antithesis to everything Jughead stood for, just like the institution of Stonewall itself. Her suspicions were only confirmed when Jughead had told her about what transpired after their little game of Murder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Consequently, it had been very satisfying to discover that it was Bret she had whacked over the head with a golf club during Thanksgiving break. In Betty's defence, she had initially just seen a hulking figure with an axe, and only did what was necessary to protect Jughead. If pressed, though, Betty would admit that it could have been enjoyable to see Bret's smarmy face crumple as he fell, if only he didn't have that stupid mask on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the time, Betty did feel a little bad upon discovering that Bret and Donna hadn't really meant to hurt Jughead, just scare him. That was why she agreed to help stitch up Bret's head—that, and she was the only one with advanced enough first aid training to do so. It had been a little fun to see Bret squirming as she tended to his wound. Betty's not always proud of her sadistic streak, but considering all the shit that Bret had put Jughead through, she wasn't above being a little rougher than usual as she finished her careful stitches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again, there are things about Bret that Betty doesn't quite understand. The way Jughead describes how Bret acts when they're together at Stonewall—well, it's not totally at odds with Betty's own experience with him, but there's something missing. Something like…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The look in Bret's eyes when Betty admitted to kissing a girl during their game of Never Have I Ever: surprised, but intrigued. He had seemed to reassess her, then, this girl that he had initially dismissed as "cute, very Sweet Valley high". Betty treasures the rare moments when people see through the good-girl facade she normally tries so hard to keep up, see who she </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>is, and something about Bret being the one to do it had felt illicit. That's the first time Betty had felt like she saw through something of Bret's own facade, too. Maybe it was the alcohol that lowered both of their defences that night, or maybe it was the way the Stonewall campus had seemed so quiet as the ice storm raged outside, the world pared down to just the four of them in that common room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn't seen that facade slip again until it had just been the two of them alone for the first time, when she interviewed him for the Blue &amp; Gold piece. Even as Bret was spinning some pretentious bullshit about football being nothing more than social Darwinism, he seemed to be raking her over with his eyes, drinking her in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he had sought her out, hadn't he, after the Spirit Week game? Yes, it was to gloat about her article being shot down, but he had given her a smile when she had stood up to him, promising to keep digging. It's the first—and only—genuine smile she's seen from him. And that parting statement: "Betty, let's do this again. I really like winning against you". Is she crazy, or was that flirting?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty's not Veronica, okay; she doesn't have any experience catching the eye of rich jerks like Bret. She would have no idea how to tell even if he was flirting with her. And she should feel offended, anyway, revolted that someone like Bret is showing interest in her. He's a pretentious, privileged asshole with no regard for anyone's feelings, and certainly no respect for women—and anyway, she has a boyfriend! So what does it say about Betty that when she feels Bret's cold eyes raking over her like that, she's more intrigued than repulsed?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seems that the more Betty gets to know Bret Weston Wallace, the less she knows where she stands.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I had to rewatch so many scenes from Riverdale for this lmao please make my suffering worth it</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. i can be the one to hold you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As a reminder, from this point onward the fic takes place right after S4E12 (Chapter Sixty-Nine: Men of Honor). Since Riverdale likes to move at a breakneck pace, here's a brief recap of what happened: Betty discovers that Bret may have a sex tape of her and Jughead. Jughead has his "duels of honour" with Bret. While the last one (a chess match) is in play, Betty and Alice try to find the alleged videotapes, but Bret finds them and reveals that the tapes are actually confessional tapes from Quill &amp; Skull members (including Jughead). Jughead gives Bret the win in their duel.</p><p>We do earn the Explicit rating in this chapter, so please be aware going forward that this work will contain adult content! This chapter also gave me a bit of writer's block since it's buildup to the main Betty/Jughead/Bret scene (sorry!), hence the time it took me to update.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Betty has Jughead pressed up against the door almost as soon as he finishes closing it.</p><p>"Hey there," he laughs when she finally stops kissing him to come up for air. "What's this? I brought you back here 'cause I wanted to talk, but if you had something else in mind, maybe I should just put my tie on the door."</p><p>Betty blushes at his words, and then feels her cheeks heat up even more as Jughead <em> actually </em> takes his tie off and opens the door to loop it around the outer doorhandle.</p><p>"Juggie…" she begins.</p><p>"It's okay. I just want to make sure we're not interrupted. Like I said, we kind of have some stuff to talk abou–"</p><p>"I'm really proud of you," Betty blurts out. Jughead seems taken aback, so she hurriedly continues, "I know this duel of honor stuff meant a lot you. And I know fitting in here at Stonewall is also important to you. But I think you did the right thing by throwing the match. Guys like Bret… they don't stop unless you stand up to them. And that's what you did today."</p><p>Jughead leans down to give her a soft peck on the lips, smiling softly down at her when he pulls away.</p><p>"Betts, if I've learned anything over these last couple days, it's that I really don't have to prove anything to these people. They have no idea what true honor is. And <em> you </em> are not a damsel in distress," he finishes, cupping her cheek with one hand. Betty beams at him.</p><p>"But I'll murder Bret if he actually has a tape of us," Jughead adds darkly.</p><p>Betty shivers and turns away from him, walking past Jughead's bed to shed her coat on his chair.</p><p>"I don't even know what to think about that. On one hand, Moose never saw that tape, and he has no proof that it exists. Bret seems like the type of guy to lie about having that kind of thing if he really wanted to blackmail someone. On the other hand…"</p><p>"He also seems like exactly the type of guy to record people having sex without their consent," Jughead finishes.</p><p>"Yeah," she sighs.</p><p>"Speaking of tapes, we should probably talk about that… confession revelation." Jughead walks over to the bottom bunk and sits down, patting the space beside him. "Sit with me?"</p><p>Betty comes to sit beside him on the bottom bunk, and he takes her hand in his.</p><p>"So, as you probably guessed, I had to tell the Quill and Skull a secret as the final part of my initiation. My 'deepest, darkest secret', actually. And I… I want you to know that it wasn't anything about you, or about us. I was planning to lie, actually, so as to not give them any dirt on me." Jughead pauses, his brow creasing. Betty squeezes his hand in reassurance. "But Donna and Bret told me their secrets first. And I don't think they were lying, Betts. They both seemed so raw and honest. It's maybe the first time I've ever seen them like that. So I ended up telling them about something from my past—something I've never told anyone else. It's something I hadn't even thought about in years, honestly. I think I pushed it to the back of my mind because it was too shameful to deal with. But… when I was telling them about it, I realized I made a big mistake. Because the first person I should have told was you."</p><p>"Jug…"</p><p>He shakes his head before she can finish.</p><p>"No, I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you'd think less of me. But I… I need you to know my greatest shame. I can't live with myself if I'm not completely honest with you."</p><p>And so he tells her: about the bridge on the Southside, about Doc staying up all night to protect him from junkies, about the night that the businessmen found Doc and beat him while Jughead did nothing to help.</p><p>When he's done, Betty throws her arms around him and wraps him in a fierce hug. Jughead startles, but his arms come up to encircle her as well.</p><p>"I'm proud of you for telling me. And I don't think less of you, or love you any less."</p><p>"Really?" Jughead asks tentatively, pulling back to look her in the eyes.</p><p>"Of course. C'mere," Betty murmurs, cupping his face and drawing him down into a soft kiss. She does her best to pour all of her love and affection into the simple gesture, and Jughead eventually responds, parting his lips and returning the kiss in kind. After a few moments, she makes to pull away, but Jughead's hand comes up to the back of her neck, keeping her there. He continues the kiss, nibbling on her bottom lip while his thumb makes sweeping motions along the nape of her neck. When he finally lets her pull back for air, Betty can feel that her lips are slightly swollen, and she's sure she must look a little debauched.</p><p>"I love kissing you breathless," Jughead grins at her. Betty rolls her eyes, but leans into his side anyway. He kisses the top of her head. "So… you don't have to go back to Riverdale just yet, right? 'Cause it's been a while, and I kind of wanted to, uh, <em> celebrate</em>," he runs a hand up the inseam of her pants, from her knee to upper thigh, "my victory today."</p><p>"Well, you technically didn't <em> win </em> anything, so I don't know what there is to celebrate," she counters, putting one hand over his and sliding it off of her leg. She's playing, teasing him; Betty never feels like denying Jughead when he wants her like this. Besides, seeing Bret get his comeuppance had honestly been kind of a turn-on.</p><p>"Hmm, maybe I'll have to convince you, then," Jughead says, running his fingers lightly up her arms. Before Betty can come up with a smart retort, he's leaning in and kissing her again. Betty loves kissing Jughead; of course, she loves <em> everything </em> they do in the bedroom, but kissing him has to be her favourite. Jughead is always slightly reserved for a moment after they first start kissing, letting Betty decide if she wants to take the lead or if she wants him to be in charge. It's such a small thing, but it speaks volumes to how much he respects her, and she gives him her trust in return.</p><p>She's still playing with him a little bit, giving him teasing little pecks rather than opening her mouth like she knows he wants her to, feeling giddy when he chases her mouth every time she pulls away. Evidently, though, his moment of restraint is up, because when she next tries to withdraw, he practically <em> growls</em>, crushing a hand to the back of her neck to keep her in place as his tongue licks at her mouth. Betty moans, granting him entrance, no longer able to pretend that she doesn't want this as badly as he does. She's easy for Jughead, and they both know it, but the fun is in pretending that she's not, in being both his challenge and his prize.</p><p>The truth is, Jughead knows exactly how to take her apart.</p><p>When he hears Betty moan, he crowds into her space instinctively, not releasing his hand from the back of her neck. He deepens the kiss, and she feels his other hand slide down to play with the hem of her sweater. She shivers as he starts unbuttoning her pants, then pulls down the zipper, and he's just about to reach below the waistband of her panties–</p><p>"Wait," Betty gasps, pulling away as realization dawns. "There could still be recording devices in this room," she says, mild panic entering her voice.</p><p>"Betts–"</p><p>"Uh-uh," she shakes her head. "The last thing I need right now is <em> another </em> sex tape."</p><p>Jughead gives a resigned huff as she clambers off him and then re-fastens her zipper so she can get to work. Betty feels the weight of his amused gaze on her back as she starts investigating Bret's desk and bed for anything resembling a camera.</p><p>Once she's sure that the room's clear of any and all devices that could possibly be recording them, Betty looks over to the bed and realizes that Jughead's already gotten into the top bunk.</p><p>"Satisfied?" he quips as Betty makes her way up the ladder to join him. She smirks at him as she swings a leg over his thigh to straddle his crotch.</p><p>"Not yet."</p><p>She sees Jughead smile at her as she leans down to kiss him. He picks up right where they left off, fingers fumbling with the fastening on her pants again. This time, though, once he's got them open, his hands move to slide underneath her sweater instead. Betty gasps despite herself.</p><p>"Juggie," she squeals, "your hands are freezing!"</p><p>"Well, I'm <em> trying </em>to warm them up, if it wasn't clear."</p><p>Betty rolls her eyes, grinding her hips down on him in response. She gets her intended reaction: Jughead's jaw tenses and his eyelashes flutter as he fights to stay in control of himself. In retaliation, he moves his hands up to cover her breasts, thumbs resting over her nipples. Even through the fabric of her bra, she can feel how cold his hands are, and her nipples pebble both from the chill and the friction of his thumbs as he rubs them slowly. She whines, grinding down on him automatically this time. Without warning, Jughead removes his hands, and she whimpers at the loss of contact. His fingers tug at the bottom of her sweater.</p><p>"Take this off," he murmurs, eyes dark.</p><p>Betty couldn't say no to him now even if she wanted to; she hurriedly tugs the sweater off her head and flings it blindly to the floor, leaving her in just her bra. Jughead smirks, clearly appreciating her eagerness, and then Betty sees his gaze fix on her breasts. She knows he adores them, loves playing with them and worshipping them with his hands and mouth. She'd never really thought they were anything that special before, just average, but the attention Jughead always lavishes on them makes her feel like maybe they're extraordinary. Jughead makes everything about her feel extraordinary.</p><p>As if reading her mind, he cups both breasts in his hands again, squeezing them just slightly. His hands are starting to warm up just a bit, which Betty should appreciate, but she misses the chill of his fingers over her sensitive nipples. Right on cue, Jughead slides the straps of her bra off her shoulders, and then pulls down the cups so that the tops of her breasts and nipples are exposed to the air. The slight temperate drop makes her nipples pebble further, and she arches her back slightly. </p><p>"Beautiful," Jughead whispers, before his mouth comes to the top of one breast and sucks lightly. Betty huffs out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, which quickly morphs into a moan as his hand cups her other breast, finally stroking her nipple with nothing between their skin.</p><p>Betty notices then that Jughead's still fully clothed, which seems quite unfair given her state of undress. She doesn't realize that she's voiced the thought out loud until he detaches himself from her and sits up rapidly, pulling at his tie until he can yank his shirt and sweater over his head, beanie tumbling off with them. She smiles to herself: compared to all the ways they've had each other, it's such a small thing, but she loves that she's one of the few people who gets to see him without his beanie on.</p><p>Jughead brings his mouth back to her right breast, licking and lightly scraping his teeth over the skin there while his left hand strokes the nipple on her other breast. Betty moans again, her hips beginning to roll against his in the start of a familiar rhythm. Jughead pulls off with a slick <em> pop </em> to gaze up at her in wonder.</p><p>"Fuck, Betts, you have no idea what you do to me." His voice is rough with arousal, and it makes Betty buck against his hips, seeking <em> more </em> friction, so she can undo not just herself, but him as well. His fingers finally dip below the waist of her pants to lightly draw over the fabric of her underwear, so close to her clit, and she draws in a breath.</p><p>"Yeah?" he teases, fingers stilling. "You want this, Betty?"</p><p>"Juggie, please, please touch me," she begs, knowing that it's what he wants—needs—to hear. He grins at her, sharp and predatory, and then at last, his clever fingers shove her panties to the side.</p><p>And that's when the door swings open.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I finally updated! There's been 3 new Riverdale episodes between when this fic was started and the release of this installment. I'm sorry about that; I wanted to get a chapter out weekly to stay ahead of the episode release schedule, but life got in the way. The good news is that I have most of the next 2 chapters planned out since they were the ones I had imagined from the beginning... Oh yeah, I upped the chapter count from 3 to 4 because this fic got away from me so much! Here's hoping I can finish it before this show throws too much more wild shit at us. Hope you enjoyed; kudos and comments make me very happy if you'd like to leave any :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. nowhere to run</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, I finally updated! With everything that's happened over the last few months, writing fic wasn't something I had much energy for, but I finally got a creative burst. If you're seeing this new chapter after sticking with this fic from the beginning, thank you so much for your patience. There's only one chapter left, and it's going to be the big smut finale! I'm sorry that it's not coming at the same time as this chapter, but I'm hoping to have it up in the next few weeks. I wanted to have this fic done by the season finale, but obviously that didn't happen, and a billion things have happened in the show since then. However, I'm going forward with the same timeline I had planned for this story; it takes place between S4E12 and S4E13. However, in this fic's canon, Bret has NOT leaked Betty and Jughead's tape to the Scarlet Suite.</p><p>Thanks for reading, and stay safe everyone &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Betty slides off Jughead as fast as she can and pulls the covers over her chest. For one mortifying moment she thinks her mother's about to finally catch her and Jughead <em> in flagrante delicto</em>, but it appears that the universe is feeling merciful. Or more likely, she realizes as she gets a better look at the person walking through the door, it's feeling particularly cruel—because it's Bret who enters the room.</p><p>"There's clearly a tie on the door!" Jughead yells, doing his best to shield Betty's current state of undress with his upper body.</p><p>"My mistake—I thought you might've gone back to Riverdale with your tail between your legs, considering you seem to love surrendering these days," Bret says in his trademark drawl, closing the door behind him. Betty tells herself that she's not disappointed when he hardly even glances at her barely-covered chest. "And seeing how you have no respect for <em> my </em> privacy, why should I have any respect for yours?"</p><p>"For your information, I had no idea Betty was going to break into the Quill and Skull room during our match."</p><p>"Hmmm, why don't I believe you?" Bret mutters sarcastically.</p><p>"Well, because obviously if I had known, I would've just let her in myself."</p><p>"You really have no concept of the purpose of a <em> secret society</em>, do you, Jones?" Bret huffs.</p><p>Betty takes advantage of their bickering to wriggle further under the blanket and slide her bra cups and straps back into place. It gives her a little more coverage, but she's still essentially topless. She now deeply regrets throwing her sweater on the floor.</p><p>"Well, we don't all have Daddy's connections to introduce us to the concept from birth," Jughead counteres. His response comes off calm and measured, practically blasé, but Betty knows there's real anger waiting to rise to the surface if Bret takes the bait.</p><p>"I appreciate the reminder, Forsythe," Bret tosses back airily. To Betty's disbelief, he then plops down in the chair at his desk, grabs a nearby paperback, and proceeds to take a large bite out of an apple she would swear he didn't have when he walked in.</p><p>Betty sits there stunned for a few moments, until Jughead finally breaks the silence.</p><p>"For God's sake, Bret, can we get a bit of privacy?"</p><p>"By all means, continue your activities," Bret deadpans, not looking up from his book. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."</p><p>Something in the tone of his voice triggers Betty's intuition. She swiftly sits up, not caring as the blanket falls around her, exposing her half-naked upper body.</p><p>"You <em> do </em> have a tape of us, don't you?!"</p><p>Bret's head turns automatically at the movement, and his eyes widen just slightly as his gaze lands on Betty. She tries to pretend she doesn't feel a sense of victory at that.</p><p>"Why, Betty, I don't know what you're talking about," Bret replies, each word dripping with artificial sweetness. "I,"—and here his gaze fixes pointedly on her breasts—"am a <em> perfect </em>gentleman."</p><p>He's lying. He's lying and he's <em> taunting </em> her about it! Betty knows the truth, and Bret knows that she knows. This is her and Bret's own little chess match, and Betty refuses to be put in check. She'd be the queen, anyway.</p><p>Betty huffs and turns her back to Bret without responding, making a show of taking her ponytail down and fluffing out her hair. She lets it fall like a curtain so that it obscures herself and Jughead from Bret's gaze. She leans in conspiratorially and takes both of his hands in her own. His thumbs automatically come up to brush her fingers reassuringly.</p><p>"He's lying, Jug," she whispers with conviction. "I know he has that tape."</p><p>"How?"</p><p>She blows out a breath.</p><p>"Juggie, do you trust me?"</p><p>"You know I do—with everything," Jughead says, squeezing her hands briefly. Betty takes a deep breath.</p><p>"Okay. Then just– just follow my lead, okay? And use your safeword if I do<em> anything </em>you don't like."</p><p>Jughead's eyes widen in surprise, but after a beat, he nods. Betty turns away to face Bret before she can chicken out.</p><p>"Let's make a deal," she says, her mouth running before her brain's fully caught up. "I know you have that tape, and I want it. And I think I—<em> we </em>—have something you want too."</p><p>"Oh?" Bret raises one eyebrow. "And what's that?"</p><p>"Give us the tape," Betty says, "and you can watch."</p><p>She expects some kind of response, either from Bret himself, or from Jughead behind her, but neither seems to react.</p><p>"I can watch… the tape?" Bret asks, looking puzzled. "I could– if I did allegedly have such a tape, then surely I could watch it anytime, no?"</p><p>Betty huffs in annoyance. She can't believe he's making her say this.</p><p>"Give us the tape," she repeats, slower this time, "and you can watch us. Tonight. In person."</p><p>This time, she gets a reaction: Jughead physically <em> jerks </em>behind her in what Betty assumes is shock, and Bret… starts to smile. It's not his usual self-satisfied grin, nor the predatory smirk she's seen on him sometimes. It's the surprised grin of someone who has been outplayed, but who still has to acknowledge the sheer bravado of their competitor's move. The expression vanishes too quickly as Bret gains control of himself, his face slipping into its familiar aloof mask.</p><p>Jughead must have recovered from his earlier surprise, because Betty feels his arms wrap around her waist from behind.</p><p>"You sure about this?" he murmurs into her ear. He hasn't used his safeword, though. Betty nods almost imperceptibly.</p><p>Jughead presses a light kiss to her temple, squeezing her waist lightly.</p><p>"Go get him."</p><p>Betty clears her throat and directs her attention to Bret.</p><p>"You have to prove that the tape exists first, obviously."</p><p>"Obviously," Bret repeats drily. "And then you'll put on a little show for me?"</p><p>God, he's so arrogant! It absolutely should not send a shiver of anticipation down Betty's spine. She squeezes her thighs together as she replies,</p><p>"We'll 'continue our activities', as you suggested, and if you happen to stay in the room while we do so…"</p><p>Bret raises an eyebrow; Betty thinks he'd love to challenge her rather liberal interpretation of the scenario she's suggesting, but thankfully he doesn't comment on it.</p><p>"Now, you'll have to forgive my scepticism, but given both of your histories, how am I to trust that this isn't some convoluted plot against me?"</p><p>"No games." Betty looks Bret dead in the eyes. "You have something we want, and we have something you're clearly interested in. It's an even exchange."</p><p>Bret doesn't look entirely convinced.</p><p>"And I really want to get off," Betty blurts out, her mouth once again running faster than her brain can catch up.</p><p>For some reason this is what pushes Bret over the edge; his eyes sparkle with interest, and one corner of his mouth even quirks up in the hint of a smile.</p><p>"Fair enough, Cooper." Bret outright grins at her. His eyes finally dart to Jughead. "Didn't know you had such a minx on your hands, Jones." Before Jughead can respond, he continues, "I'll go get the tape and we can get a move on, then. Wouldn't want to leave poor Betty waiting."</p><p>He finally puts down his apple and book and starts heading to the door.</p><p>"And don't bother snooping around my stuff while I'm gone. I can assure you, you won't find anything of interest," Bret tosses over his shoulder. Then the door shuts behind him and he's gone.</p><p>"So… what the hell was that?" Jughead asks.</p><p>Biting her lip, Betty turns to face him.</p><p>"Juggie, I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything that you don't want to."<br/><br/>"I don't," he responds simply. "But I'm confused." He shakes his head. "I feel like I missed something. Bret… likes you?"</p><p>Betty feels her cheeks heat up.</p><p>"I don't know about 'likes', Juggie. I doubt he wants to hold my hand and write me notes like we're in grade school. But I've had a sense for a while that he… y'know, finds me attractive." Jughead hums thoughtfully in acknowledgement. "So I kind of went out on a limb there when I saw the opportunity. It was a calculated risk to offer him something I suspected he wanted, but didn't know for sure."</p><p>"So what do you think the chances are that he walks back through that door with the rest of the Stonies ready to embarrass us and take incriminating photos of us in bed together?"</p><p>"Mmm, like twenty percent?" Betty answers, only half-joking.</p><p>"So you think we can trust him, then?"</p><p>"I don't know about that," she sighs. "But at the very least, we're going to find out if there's really a tape. And after that…" Betty bites her lip again. She doesn't really know what happens after that, or how to discuss it with Jughead.</p><p>"And if the tape is real, what's your plan? Grab it and split?"</p><p>"Bret's smart; I doubt he'd leave the tape within our reach so we could easily snatch it and leave."</p><p>"So…"</p><p>Betty blows out a breath and forces herself to meet Jughead's eyes.</p><p>"So… our only option might be to actually do what I offered, and trust Bret to give us the tape in exchange."</p><p>Jughead's eyebrows raise practically to his hairline.</p><p>They've talked about exhibitionism before, but only in an abstract sense. A few muttered sentences here and there in the height of passion to get them both off, mostly from Jughead about <em>how beautiful you are when you're like this Betts, fuck, I'd</em> <em>love to show you off so everyone can see</em>. There have even been hangouts with Archie and Veronica where both couples have let things go further than heavy petting. But because it's Bret, it's different; Betty knows that.</p><p>"Hear me out," she adds hurriedly. "If the tape is real, it'll be nothing he hasn't seen before. It's also the <em> only </em> leverage we have over him right now."</p><p>Jughead hums thoughtfully, then nods in agreement. He tilts Betty's chin up with one hand so that they're looking directly into each other's eyes.</p><p>"Betts, aside from getting the tape back, is this what <em> you </em>want? I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with either."</p><p>Here it is: the moment of truth in which Betty must admit possibly her darkest secret yet. That the more she and Jughead discuss it, the more she has to sit aching and unsatisfied in the same room as Bret, the more she <em> knows </em> she wants this. Sometimes when Bret looks at her, Betty feels like he's seeing the deepest, darkest parts of her. She knows he's not seeing everything, though, and while she's not stupid enough to confess any of her <em> actual crimes </em> to him, she feels a pull to let him in <em> somehow</em>. To let him see the untamed, sinful side of her that they both know lies beneath her good-girl exterior.</p><p>"Yes," she murmurs. "I want this."</p><p>"Okay," Jughead replies. "Then I can't wait to show Bret that you're <em> mine</em>, no matter what kind of tape he has."</p><p>Without warning, he leans in and kisses her <em> hard</em>, his hands gripping her hips as he bites down on her bottom lip.</p><p>"You want to show Bret what a good girl you are for me, is that it?" Jughead murmurs against her mouth, and Betty moans as their lips meet again. They're just beginning to find a rhythm, kissing each other feverishly while she grinds against Jughead's thigh, desperately seeking friction, when the door swings open. They jerk apart.</p><p>"Couldn't wait to start without me?" Bret asks.</p><p>Betty groans in frustration. It's like he's doing this on purpose. She's also realizing that she and Jughead failed to use their time to pick up any of their clothes on the floor, making any vague plans of grabbing the tape and dashing out impossible. It seems there's no going back now.</p><p>To her surprise, Bret starts wheeling in a dusty VCR player strapped to a creaky cart. It resembles the type of monstrosity that was reserved for showing educational cartoons when Betty was in elementary school. A second look reveals that there's an actual <em> tape </em>tucked underneath Bret's arm; he might be taking the term "sex tape" a bit too literally. There's something naggingly suspicious about Bret using VHS tapes instead of anything more modern, but Betty pushes the thought away.</p><p>Bret finishes dragging in the ancient media cart, setting it haphazardly in front of their bunk. He strides across the room to grab the chair in front of Jughead's desk, and then angles it so that the top of the chair is under the doorknob and the front feet are off the ground. They're all trapped in here together now, although Betty can't be sure anymore who's laying the trap and who's the prey. Bret turns back and catches her staring.</p><p>"What?" he says, raising one eyebrow. "Your tie didn't stop me; you think it'd stop any of the other rabble in this school from just barging in?"</p><p>"Why use tapes?" Betty asks, changing the subject because she refuses to admit that Bret has a valid point. "Surely a digital format would make it easier to manage your supposed vault of sex tapes? Even DVDs would be easier to store."</p><p>"I'm an old-fashioned man," Bret shrugs. "Besides, you can't hack into a VHS tape." He gestures towards the ancient VHS player. "This technology is less common nowadays as well, which means that if someone does get their hands on any of my tapes, it'll take a while to track down a way to play them. That buys me some time."</p><p>Betty once again has to admit to herself that Bret has a point. Fucked-up and perverted as it is, Bret's scheme is well-thought out.</p><p>Jughead barks out a laugh beside Betty, startling her.</p><p>"Sorry," he apologizes, laying a hand on her arm. His next words are directed at Bret. "I just… anytime you want to jack off to one of your tapes, you have to reel out a whole VCR player? That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Online porn is popular for a reason."</p><p>Bret does his infuriating eyebrow raise again.</p><p>"Who said anything about these tapes being for my own sexual gratification? How does that apocryphal Oscar Wilde quote go again? '<em>Everything in the world is about sex. Except sex</em>…'"</p><p>"…Sex is about power," Betty finishes. Bret actually looks… approving? impressed? It's hard to discern the look on his face.</p><p>"See? I knew Betty here would understand." Betty feels a coiling in her stomach at finding yet another connection between her and Bret. Luckily, Jughead jumps in before she can work her mind in knots thinking about it.</p><p>"Can we get on with this? Just show us the tape, Bret."</p><p>"My pleasure," Bret responds cheerily. He inserts the tape unceremoniously into the VCR player's slot. "Now, I won't be playing it in real time, since it's quite… lengthy, but I'll fast forward through it so you can assure yourselves that it's complete." He takes the VCR remote in hand from its resting place on the media cart.</p><p>Jughead's hand finds Betty's where it's resting on the blanket. He gives her fingers a squeeze as the TV blinks to life. When the tape starts playing, the footage is grainy, but the scene is unmistakable: Betty and Jughead are in the top bunk, both dressed in their pyjamas, engaging in some heavy petting. There's not much sound to the tape other than the wet sounds of their kissing and the rustling of the sheets. Before Bret can apparently hit fast forward, something small fluttering down from the bunk catches Betty's eye.</p><p>"Wait, is that a candy wrapper?" Then the realization hits her: "This is from the night of the ice storm!"</p><p>"Very good, Betty!" Bret confirms, grinning. His next words are uttered so quietly she doesn't know if he even meant to voice them out loud. "So observant."</p><p>Bret must hit fast forward after that, because the scene speeds up, the on-screen couple continuing their foreplay in high speed, the sound muted. Betty had no idea what to expect from seeing herself and Jughead on tape. Thankfully, she's not as self-conscious as she might have thought upon seeing herself like this, even with the unflattering low angle. She supposes she has bigger things to worry about regarding her illicit sex tape than how flat her stomach looks.</p><p>Betty glances over at Bret, who's standing by the VCR player, arms crossed and remote in one hand. He's staring straight at her, even as the Betty on screen starts taking off her clothing at two times speed. She refuses to look away from him; after a few beats, Bret raises an eyebrow in challenge, the beginnings of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Betty wonders if Bret has watched all of their tape before. He just claimed that he didn't use the tapes to get off, but he probably watches them after collecting the recording just to make sure he got what he wanted. But maybe he's watched their tape multiple times because of his… interest in Betty. Is that why he's acting so indifferent towards what's happening on screen? Or is he just more invested in watching her in this moment?</p><p>Betty turns her eyes back to the screen to see her past self on her back while Jughead enthusiastically kisses down her stomach before settling between her thighs. The specifics of the act are obscured by the angle and the way Jughead is bent over, but it's obvious what's going on. She watches her own face contort in pleasure as he licks at her, and it's… really hot, actually. Betty is, obviously, not used to seeing Jughead and herself from this position. They've tried something like this only once before, using an ostentatious full-length mirror in one of the Lodge's guest rooms. It was good, once Betty got over the some of the self-consciousness and weirdness of it. But she was still <em> in her own body </em> when it was happening, and her field of vision was limited by the mirror. Seeing herself and Jughead like this, from the outside… It's a side of their relationship she thought she'd never see. It shouldn't get her off, being filmed without her permission. It <em> especially </em> shouldn't get her off knowing that it was Bret who planned the whole thing.</p><p>On screen, Jughead makes his way back up her body, and they both undress fully. He grabs a condom and puts it on before getting on top of Betty and starting to fuck her in earnest. Betty watches herself and Jughead enthusiastically change positions a few times over the course of the video, Betty even putting her hair up in a ponytail at one point so that Jughead can pull it as he enters her from behind. Despite all this, their sex seems so perfunctory when it's sped up and muted. Betty almost wants to ask Bret to slow the tape down, let them watch it in real time… But no. There will be plenty of time for Betty and Jughead to do that themselves once they have the tape safely in their possession.</p><p>"So, as you can see, it's all there," Bret finishes as the video comes to a close, Jughead collapsing on top of Betty as they embrace before the scene fades to black. "Quite enough to stain both of your reputations, I should imagine."</p><p>"Alright, Bret," Jughead snaps.</p><p>"I always wondered how trailer trash like you snagged a beautiful girl like Betty," Bret continues, ignoring Jughead's warning. Out of the corner of her eye, Betty sees Jughead's jaw clench. "But when I saw that tape, well, I could tell you make it worth her while to stick around."</p><p>"That's enough, Bret," Betty interjects. He actually shuts up then, and she feels a rush of power, almost getting dizzy with it. It feels good to to watch Bret obey her. "We've seen the tape, and we know it's legitimate. So if you're prepared to be respectful to us, then maybe we can get on with this deal."</p><p>"Oh, is that what you want, Betty?" Bret asks, a smug smile on his face. "For me to be <em> respectful </em>to you?" He's calling her bluff, but he hasn't read her right; he may think, arrogantly, that she'd love to be under his thumb, but Betty's discovering that she'd love nothing more than to put Bret in his place.</p><p>"You'd better be respectful towards us, otherwise the deal's off," she directs him sternly. "And turn off your phone first. I don't want you secretly recording anything, or telling anyone to come bursting in here."</p><p>"Alright, alright." Bret raises his hands in surrender. He holds up his phone and faces it towards Betty and Jughead as he holds down the power button until the screen turns black. "Happy?"</p><p>Betty nods, and Bret places the now-useless phone face-down on his desk. He goes back over to the VCR player and apparatus, and starts pushing it towards the wall so that it's not in the centre of the room. Once he's done, Betty starts to lie down again, expecting Bret to go take a seat on his bed or chair, but he raises a hand at her in a 'stop' gesture.</p><p>"No," he says, "you two should be in my bed."</p><p>Jughead raises an eyebrow at him.</p><p>"Look," Bret says exasperatedly, "the top bunk isn't exactly conducive to visibility. It'll make for an odd angle if I'm sitting on my bed or a chair and you're all the way up there. Anyone can see that from the tape; I want a proper view."</p><p>Betty looks at Jughead and shrugs. Bret's an asshole, but he's not wrong about the angle, and if they're going to do this, there's no use in being coy. Jughead gives her a slight nod, and then they both start to move. There's a moment of awkwardness as they descend the ladder, but it loses its power when Betty observes how Bret's dark eyes follow her as she strides across the room to his bed. Betty feels heat pooling low in her stomach, being looked at like that—like Bret would eat her alive, if only she'd let him. She settles on the bed, sitting up with her back against the headboard, and Jughead comes to sit perpendicular to her.</p><p>"Alright," Bret says, sitting down in his chair and leaning back, his hands folded behind his head in a comical exaggeration of leisure. "Let the show begin."</p>
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